Monday, February 3, 2014

Kaleidoscope by Kristen Ashley

“Sometimes,”
Chace started, and his tone was cautious, “girls like her, girls
like she used to be who turn into girls like she is now, get a guy’s
attention, a good-lookin’ guy like that, and they can go—”

Deck cut him off.
“Chace, you know Emme. You know that’s bullshit. She’s always
known her own mind. And she’s always been cool. Even when she
wasn’t a knockout, she wasn’t that kind of person.”

“It’s been
years, Deck,” Chace reminded him. “A lot of them. People change,
and it isn’t lost on either of us she has in a big way.”

“Yeah, and I just
met her on the street. I’m havin’ dinner with her tonight and she
looks good, man, but she acts the same. And her man is a dick but
he’s also a moron. So he’s no boss,” Deck declared and looked
at Shaughnessy. “And you just got yourself a maverick.”

The mood in the
room shifted. It had been alert. Now it was relieved.

Shaughnessy was the
only one who didn’t want Deck stepping in.

The rest of them,
after all they’d seen for the past few years, wanted this done, and
they were willing to take risks to get that.

“Terrific,”
Shaughnessy muttered, his eyes moving through the room.

“Decker, this
needs to be discussed,” Douglas stated, and Deck looked to him.

“You want me on
the team, we talk money. I’ll give a discount, see this shit
sorted. I’ll want a full brief. I’ll want the entire file. I
won’t take orders. I’ll keep you in the know of what I do and
what I find. But, just sayin’, that woman means something to me.”
He threw out a hand toward the whiteboard. “So even if you don’t
put me on the team and pay me, I’ll still be seein’ her clear of
this shit.”

“This isn’t my
first rodeo,” Deck returned. “What’s goin’ down, I wouldn’t
fuck your investigation. But she’s still clear and she’s clear in
no more than a week. Not months. Not as long as it’ll take you to
track this crew, the way you’re goin’, and stop their shit.”

“As contract to
this task force, you cannot engage in illegal activities. We can’t
prosecute with fruit from the poisonous tree,” Douglas told him.

“Again, not my
first rodeo,” Deck replied.

“You have a crew
or do you work alone?” Henry asked.

“This, I’ll be
bringin’ in my crew,” Deck answered.

“They’ll all
need to see me,” Douglas stated. “Contract is signed, you all
work for my department until the case is done.”

Deck nodded and his
eyes went to Chace. “Want a picture of that board, want the file.”

“Deck, not sure
this is a good idea. You got a conflict of interest with this—”

Deck again cut
Chace off. “This is Emme.”

“I know it’s
Emme,” Chace shot back, concerned for Deck and losing patience
because of it. “Until just now, I had no idea you’d react the way
you have when you saw it was Emme. So Emme’s the goddamned conflict
of interest.”

“You know her,”
Deck whispered, also losing patience, and he watched his friend’s
face. Definite concern but also indecision.

He knew Emme.

Chace went from the
academy into Carnal’s Police Department and stayed there but that
didn’t mean Deck didn’t spend time with Chace throughout all
Deck’s travels. Chace had met Elsbeth. Chace had spent time with
her. And with Elsbeth came Emme. So Chace had spent time with Emme
too.

At his words, Deck
felt the ghost of her fingers digging into his shoulder through his
coat. Saw the dimple. Heard her call him honey.

And he knew her
history. Elsbeth told him. He knew what she’d survived. He knew
what made her what she was.

He didn’t know
what made her what she was now, but he was going to find out at
dinner.

Last, he knew Emme would not be a part
of a crew who burgled homes across an entire county and recruited
high school students to do it. Not for the attention of the likes
Dane McFarland. Not for money. Not for power. Not for anything.

“She’s up
first. I investigate her. Clear her. Then clear her of this shit,”
Deck stated.

“You work that
with me,” Chace returned.

“Suit yourself.
But dinner with Emme tonight is just her and me.”

Chace studied him.

Deck took it then
looked to Douglas. “You got a file for me?”

“It’ll be
delivered to your house by three thirty,” Douglas replied.

“Contracts will
be emailed to you by then. My crew will be in tomorrow at eight to be
deputized,” Deck replied.

“You gonna be
with them?” Douglas asked.

“Wouldn’t miss
that shit for the world,” Deck answered, cut his eyes through the
people in the room, noting Henry Gibbons looked amused, Mick
Shaughnessy looked annoyed, Carole Weatherspoon looked reflective and
Chace still looked worried.